At this moment, the Yanyang Spiritual Realm felt an added sense of closeness and connection to her. The instant the thought of leaving crossed her mind, ripples surged in the space around her, gradually coalescing into a human-sized spatial vortex. Light churned gently within it, radiating a soft, steady aura.
Shi Yu looked around, bowed low, and said, “Senior, thank you for bestowing this opportunity upon me. I hope all goes smoothly during your slumber this time... and I hope we have a chance to meet again in the future.”
With that, she straightened up, softly spoke her farewells, and took one last look at the scene—so bright, clear, and vastly different from when she first arrived—before stepping into the spatial vortex.
...
Atop the mountain peak.
An emaciated old man sat with graying temples and a face weathered with age.
His aura churned and his Qi was chaotic, yet he showed no intention of adjusting his breath to regulate it. He simply sat motionless on a jagged rock, staring blankly into midair.
This was the sight that greeted Master Ji when he walked up the mountain.
He let out a quiet sigh, walked over to sit beside President Song, and remained silent for a long moment before speaking slowly, “A message arrived from the association. Business has been piling up lately. If you, as president, don't return to oversee things soon, I'm afraid the elders won't be able to handle it alone.”
Exactly one year had passed since the closure of the Yanyang Spiritual Realm. The disappearance of Shi Yu—who had claimed first place in the alchemy grand competition—within the realm had initially sparked widespread discussion across Changyuan Prefecture. Many had once gathered on this mountain peak seeking news.
But as the year went by, time moved on, and the affair ultimately proved to be like a stone dropped into water—after stirring ripples, it returned to silence and calm. Hardly anyone mentioned it anymore, and this mountain peak had long been abandoned by visitors.
Seeing that President Song did not reply, Master Ji continued, “I know you can't stop worrying about little Yu'er, fearing that if she comes out, she won't see a single familiar face... You just go back. I'll stay here and keep watch. If one year isn't enough, I'll wait another. If ten years aren't enough, I'll wait ten more.”
Master Ji's own heartache was no less than his own. Knowing this, President Song's dry, lifeless eyes shifted slightly, and he rasped, “You go back.”
As he spoke, he fished out a president's token from his storage ring and handed it to Master Ji. “It was my insistence that sent girl Yu into the spiritual realm. Now it seems I truly harmed her... I no longer have the face to return to Lingtai Prefecture.”
Refusing to accept it, Master Ji scolded angrily, “Little Yu'er is a thoughtful, lovely girl. If she saw the normally majestic President looking so utterly defeated right now, she'd be shocked! Why must you take all the blame on yourself? As cultivators, we ought to know that past events cannot be undone. You must pull yourself together!”
Hearing this, President Song gave a bitter smile.
The turbulence of his aura grew increasingly intense. Startled, Master Ji examined him closely, only to notice a faint, hazy duskiness veiling his face. Frowning, he asked, “Your... your bottleneck barrier has thickened?”
In his younger days, President Song had been considered an extraordinary genius in Lingtai Prefecture. Now over a hundred and fifty years old, his cultivation had long reached the Foundation Establishment Realm Great Perfection. At this rate of cultivation, breaking through to the Golden Core Realm held great promise.
But now... his worry for Shi Yu had clogged his mind, giving rise to an emotional hurdle—a knot in his heart. Bound by this heart knot, his bottleneck grew thicker with each passing day.
If this continued and his heart knot remained unresolved, he might well remain stuck at this stage for the rest of his life, unable to advance even an inch further.
President Song offered another bitter smile, shaking his head in silence.
After a long silence, Master Ji sighed. “If girl Yu knew you were like this—”
“If I knew what?”
Before Master Ji could finish his sentence, a girl's crisp, cheerful voice echoed from behind them.
Upon hearing this familiar voice, both men trembled. Expressions of utter disbelief rushed onto their faces as they hastily turned around.
Behind them, a spatial vortex had appeared silently, releasing not a single ripple of spiritual Qi fluctuation. Because of this, despite being right in front of them, neither had noticed its presence.
Out from the spatial vortex stepped a fair, graceful young girl clad in the Flowing Radiance spirit robe. Her features were neat and lovely, her waist-length hair cascading down, her bright, lively eyes shining with animated brilliance.
Who else could it be but Shi Yu, the very girl President Song and Master Ji had been yearning for!
Staring at her, the two could hardly believe their eyes until Shi Yu asked again, “Master Ji, what were you saying about if I knew?”
Only then did they snap out of their daze like waking from a dream. Filled with overwhelming joy and astonishment, they scrambled to their feet and rushed over to meet her.
“Girl Yu!” Overjoyed, Master Ji grabbed her by the arm, his voice trembling with excitement.
President Song stared at her, tears welling up in his slightly cloudy eyes. His lips and beard trembled, rendering him speechless.
Looking at the emotionally charged old men, Shi Yu said softly, “Master Ji, President, I'm out.”
“Girl, do you have any idea how worried we were about you?” Master Ji gripped her arm tightly. “You disappeared with the Yanyang Spiritual Realm for a whole year! We almost thought we'd never see you again.”
Shi Yu was astonished. “Has it really been... a year?”
When the Yanyang Xuancang Flame cast her into the void to comprehend its origin, her perception of time had completely faded. She had no idea how long she had spent in the spiritual realm.
Seeing her expression, Master Ji exchanged a glance with President Song and couldn't help asking, “What on earth happened... How did you fare inside the spiritual realm?”
As they asked, the two examined Shi Yu closely. Seeing her rosy cheeks and healthy complexion, both breathed a sigh of relief.
“It's a long story.” Shi Yu shook her head gently and smiled, flicking a flame of crimson fire from her fingertip. “President, Master Ji, take a look.”
When their eyes fell upon the flame, their pupils contracted. Sensing the ancient, distant aura emanating from it, they murmured in disbelief, “Is this... the Yanyang Xuancang Flame?”
Shi Yu nodded, then withdrew her hand to extinguish the flame. “A sudden upheaval occurred in the spiritual realm that day. I fell into a fissure and was commissioned by Senior Spiritual Flame, thus obtaining this fortunate encounter.”
Hearing this, Master Ji and President Song exchanged another look, understanding dawning upon them. They knew that although her words sounded light and understated, Shi Yu must have braved life and death to achieve such good fortune.
President Song observed Shi Yu intently. Noticing that the spiritual Qi surrounding her was denser than before and flowed with effortless ease, he clenched his hands, his voice trembling slightly. “Little Yu'er, has your cultivation broken through?”
Shi Yu pressed her lips together into a smile and nodded. “I've reached the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm now.”
She had already been at the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm before falling into the fissure inside the spiritual realm. After being cast into the void to comprehend the spiritual flame's origin, she had drifted in that void for nearly a year. Though her cultivation hadn't advanced further during that period, the benefits to her state of mind and divine soul were beyond description, sure to serve as a powerful aid when breaking through major realms in the future.
Furthermore... she had yet to refine this newly obtained juvenile version of the Yanyang Xuancang Flame. Once she refined the spiritual flame slightly and integrated it into herself, her cultivation level would likely rise even further.
President Song was overjoyed, all former despondency scattering completely. He laughed aloud three times, booming, “Good! Good! Good!”
Following his laughter, President Song's robes billowed as howling winds rustled around him, his momentum surging continuously upward.
Shi Yu was startled, unsure of what was happening, when she heard Master Ji cry out in pleasant surprise beside her, “The President is about to break through!”
President Song had originally formed a heart knot due to Shi Yu's plight. With the knot unresolved, his bottleneck barrier had grown thicker day by day. Now, seeing her return safe and sound, his heart knot dissipated like parted clouds and fog, his mind suddenly becoming clear and bright—unwittingly ushering in the signs of a breakthrough.
President Song closed his eyes as radiant spiritual light erupted from his body. Surrounding spiritual Qi was drawn toward him, condensing into swirling Qi cyclones that orbited his form.
In just a brief moment, the Qi cyclones around President Song grew increasingly powerful, his aura becoming majestic and boundless as an irresistible force swept outward.
Expectation and joy flashed in Master Ji's eyes, alongside a touch of solemn caution. He pulled Shi Yu back a short distance, then formed hand seals. “Little Yu'er, I will protect the President while he advances. Keep an eye out for any movement in the surroundings.”
Shi Yu nodded prudently in agreement.
Breaking through to the Golden Core Realm would take at least a month, during which unpredictable variables could easily arise. Normally, a cultivator who had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm Great Perfection would seek out a secluded location, carefully set up defensive barriers, or have several trusted friends carefully guard them before attempting it.
Right now, only she and Master Ji were present, and they were out in the open...
However, President Song's opportunity for breakthrough had arrived. If he failed to seize it, there was no telling when the next chance would come. Such a rare opportunity could not be delayed.
Fortunately, after the Yanyang Spiritual Realm vanished, this area had become deserted, with few people coming around to disturb them.
Master Ji waved his sleeve, using spiritual power to erect a barrier to contain the spreading aura. But Master Ji was only at the Foundation Establishment Realm himself; though the barrier was set, residual aura still leaked outward.
Seeing this, Shi Yu's mind stirred. The scale on her face, which had been quiet for a long time, flashed brightly. Her hands involuntarily formed seals as she cast Qingzhou's innate divine ability, Water Curtain Celestial Canopy.
A domed water curtain settled over the outside of Master Ji's barrier. Not only did it completely block the remaining leaking aura, but this water curtain barrier also possessed a cleansing, nurturing effect that would benefit President Song's breakthrough.
In addition, she flicked an Ailment-Clearing Pill into the barrier. Seeing President Song knowingly swallow it, she then cast out array plates and array flags, setting up a Spirit-Gathering Array around him.
Having done all she could, she followed Master Ji's instructions, keeping watch over their surroundings while quietly waiting.
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